COMEDY | Previews 56 THE LIST 4 Feb–7 Apr 2016
STAND-UP DYLAN MORAN King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 13 Mar; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Tue 12 & Wed 13 Apr
Having written and performed his own stand-up across the globe for more than 20 years (he recently became the i rst professional English-speaking comedian to perform live comedy in Russia), Dylan Moran has a wealth of material under his belt. But for the Edinburgh-based Irishman, there’s no greater buzz than going on stage and trying out brand new routines. ‘When you walk out and you’ve never said it before,
that’s where the comedy exists. Maybe that’s why live comedy has survived, because it has the danger element. For every comic out there, there’s no other way of trying this out except in front of an audience. You might do this for 50 years and think you’ve worked out what’s funny, but at the same time you can always be surprised by a room full of people. So, when I i rst try stuff out, I’ll tape it and think, “where is this going, what can I do with it, am I coming at it the right way?” Often you can fall short of what you want.’
Given the acclaim he has received for previous
touring shows such as Monster, What It Is and Yeah, Yeah, it was never likely that Off the Hook would fall short in any conceivable way. And the glowing reviews (some among the best in a career which includes being the 1996 Perrier Award winner) are testament to a man at the very height of his powers. ‘In essence, there’s no shortage of shit to talk about, that’s for sure; it’s a question of picking and choosing. The thing is, people are so busy and you just have to give them the verbal equivalent of i nger food because there’s no time to wade through miles of pasta.’ (Brian Donaldson)
STAND-UP PAUL SINHA The Stand, Glasgow, Sat 19 Mar
Paul Sinha is better known these days for wrestling that white suit onto the set of The Chase and being rude to people for half an hour. But out on the comedy circuit, he's always been the stand-up who guarantees an intelligent, incisive and, of course, witty performance. The roundly praised Postcards from the Z List from last year’s Fringe was his i rst solo show in four years. ‘I can’t deny that I was nervous,’ admits Sinha. ‘But I had put the usual painstaking hard work in, and I really enjoyed the results.’ Previous shows have focused on being a gay football fan (Liverpool FC, in case you were
wondering), his rampant love for trivia and a seemingly never ending search for love, but Postcards explored how Sinha’s life has changed in the last few years. ‘I was looking at the sometimes brutal reality of minor celebrity, the degree to which being in the public eye can be a double-edged sword, as well as an inside peek into my struggles to juggle family and my i rst proper relationship.’
Has appearing on The Chase sated his appetite for quizzes? Apparently not. ‘I quiz all year. The Chase is just a medium sized part of my quiz life. This year I will be going on a quiz holiday to Rhodes and taking part in a quiz Olympiad in Athens. I am nothing if not dedicated.’ So remember, when you get his autograph, be sure to slip him a few pub quiz questions too. (Marissa Burgess)
SKETCH SHOW UNCLES King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 16 Mar
Those Burnistoun boys have clearly contracted a serious case of the live comedy bug. Iain Connell and Rab Florence must have been so smitten with treading the Glasgow stages last year that they have come back for more, albeit with a different set of characters. The sold-out signs went up outside the King’s Theatre with such speed when it was announced that they would be performing at the 2015 Glasgow International Comedy Festival that their thoughts immediately turned to putting on extra shows for their seemingly plentiful admirers. So, when the rest of the world was looking upon the antics in Edinburgh during August, Connell and Florence were mopping up the comedy adoration at the Theatre Royal across a string of nights.
For their next trick, they’re bringing on the Uncles. There’s not a huge amount known yet about the show (aside from one curse-i lled audio sketch about Viagra, it’s all being kept i rmly under wraps), but this quasi-chilling publicity message perhaps gives a sense of the horror / hilarity to come: ‘Life can be confusing. Life can be hard. Sometimes you need guidance from men of real experience, men who know ALL the answers. Maybe it's time you sat down and listened to your uncles.’ If you want to do a bit of homework on Connell and Florence, you can always clock on to your Netl ix account and work your way through series one of Burnistoun: ‘eleven’, ‘nae rolls’, ‘quality polis’ and so forth. (Brian Donaldson)